Lipoplasty refers to the injection of fat cells to re-contour tissue. If the fat cells that are injected are derived from the patient's adipose tissue (an autograph), problems of immune response that can occur when animal foreign protein, such as collagen, is injected are avoided. The technique, although lacking FDA approval, has been used by plastic surgeons for at least thirty years. Newman reports using autogenous fat grafts to correct facial wrinkles, lines, furrows, congenital and developmental defects, and to effect cheek and chin enhancement or augmentation (Journal of Cosmetic Surgery, Vol. 3., No. 2., page 67 (1986)).
While a wide variety of techniques are currently in use for affecting lipoplasty, a single example may serve to clarify the salient features of the procedure. A local anesthetic is administered to the patient in sufficient quantity to perfuse the area from which fat cells are to be removed. A cannula, usually a 14 gauge or smaller needle, is inserted through the skin into the fatty tissue and a vacuum applied. The tip of the cannula is moved back and forth to assist with mechanical disruption of tissue. The aspirate; a heterogeneous mixture of blood and fat cells, is collected in a trap. The aspiration of fat cells may be preceded by an injection of saline or adrenalin to facilitate transport of disrupted fat cells through the lumen of the cannula.
The crude aspirate in the trap may then be either reinjected directly into the desired site or it may be processed to remove undesired components prior to reinjection. The readied aspirate is then transferred to a syringe and reinjected into a previously anesthetized recipient site.
Contamination of the aspirate during collection, processing or reinjection can result in cellulitis. To reduce the possibility of introducing exogenous microorganisms into the aspirate it is desirable to minimize handling and transfer of the aspirate. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sterilizable device which can be used to trap, process and reinject aspirate tissue cells without the need for transfer. It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for collection and treatment of tissue aspirate prior to introduction into a tissue culture medium. The present invention can be best described by referring now to the figures.